New Corsa will remain a best seller

Published:08:25Saturday 21 March 2015

VAUXHALL wisely decided not to tinker too much with the shape of their best selling model and the third best selling car in the UK when they launched the all new fourth generation Corsa writes Bryan Longworth.

The expression “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” comes to mind because the new Corsa closely resembles the previous model although it has been improved inside and out enough to continue its best selling appeal making it a very attractive car in this sector.

It is the front of the new Corsa that is really different providing the car with more kerb appeal and inside the changes were more obvious on my test car the three door Corsa SRi 1.0T with the three cylinder 1-0-litre turbo petrol engine costing £13,425.

I liked the seven inch touch screen which is very user friendly especially for using the audio system I was pleased to see that the heater controls were seperate and manually operated because such controls on screens can be a real pain to operate.

And I was extremely pleased with the new instruments which are easy to see and there is also a digital speedometer as well as the traditional speedo that is an extremely good idea making the speed of the vehicle quite clear in all light conditions.

The three cylinder engine was also something of a surprise for such engines usually have a rather noisy and very distinctive sound but the unit in the test car was as smooth as a four cylinder engine and also provided quite sporty motoring.

The 100PS engine provided a top speed of 112mph a zero to 60mph time of 11.9 seconds with a combined fuel consumption of 65.7mpg and the CO2 emissions of 100g/km means there is no road tax to pay.

There was a very nice feel to the speed sensitive power steering and the handling helped to make trips on the demanding twisting and steep Peak District roads so enjoyable especially for press-on driving.

As mentioned the test car was the three door version but if I was buying the Corsa I would go for the five door which provides better access to the roomy rear seats and are also much better for close parking situations as I found the large and heavy driver’s door not so good when I had to park close to other vehicles.

The three door version which arguably looks better will have greater appeal to younger owners but for older and family owners the five door will have wider appeal because it is so much more practical providing easier access to the rear of the car with a 285 litre load area at the back.

The new Corsa may not look all that different from the previous model but it is altogether a much better car in every way and who knows it may eventually help Vauxhall reach the UK’s top sales spot ahead of their bitter rivals with the blue oval badge!